Filing drawer with locking follower



Nov. 24, 1942. D. B. HULL 4 2,303,275

FILING DRAWER WITH LOCKING FOLLOWER Filed May 8, 1942 gwowwto'b PatentedNov. 24, 1942 UNITED STATES, PATENT OFFICE FILING DRAWER WITH LOCKINGFOLLOWER David B. Hull, Bethesda, Md.

Application May 8, 1942, Serial No. 442,240

9 Claims.

This invention relates to'filing drawers employing a removable lockingfollower for holding a bundle of cards uprightly in compact position inthe drawer.

The general object of the invention is to provide a follower whichreacts against the bottom of the drawer and longitudinal flanges on thesides of the drawer, through the intermediary of an inclined plane onthe follower and a locking bar which wedgingly engages the inclinedplane, on the one hand, and the side flanges of drawer on the other.

Another object of the invention is to provide a follower of the typedescribed, in which the locking bar is carried unitarily by thefollower.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of a follower ofthe type described, in which the locking bar has the form of a roller,the intermediate portion of which rolls against the surface of theinclined plane while the end portions roll against the longitudinal sideflanges of the drawer, when the locking bar is moved towards lockingposition.

-A further object of the invention is to provide a construction in whichthe locking bar is freely carried by the follower in unitaryrelationship, both members being normally restrained from removal fromthe drawer, each by the presence of the other, but each being freed fromthe restraining influence of the other by the tilting of the followerabout the axis of the locking bar when the latter is in release positionwhereby both members may then be removed from the drawer. In the drawingwhich accompanies and forms a part of the following specification andthrough out the several figures of which the same characters ofreference have been employed to designate identical parts:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a filing drawer with a followerembodying the principles of the invention;

Figure 2 is a transverse vertical section through the drawer andfollower;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal section through thedrawer andfollower, the tilted position of the follower being indicated in brokenlines.

Referring now in detail to the several figures, the reference characterI represents in general a filing drawer, the sides 2 and 3 of which areprovided with the longitudinal grooves 4, the upper sides 5 of saidgrooves constituting longitudinal flanges against which the locking bar6 of the follower reacts.

The follower l, as best shown in Figures 1 and 3,

rests transversely in the drawer, slidable longitudinally within thedrawer-and-having a broad base!) which reacts against the bottom of thedrawer. The follower is formed with a vertical transverse face 9 whichis designed to engage the bundle of cards It) and normally to hold themin upright position, as shown in Figure l.

The follower is provided with a face II forming an inclined plane makinga small angle with the plane of the side flanges 5. The locking bar 6has the form-of a roller, being preferably of substantially uniformcross-section from end to end, and of such diameter as to wedginglyengage the side flanges 5 and the inclined plane I Iwhen pushed in thedirection of convergence of the angle between said inclined plane andside flanges.

The follower 'l is preferably formed with a transverse channel l2 whichreceives the locking bar 6 when the latter is in released position. Therearward portion l3 of the follower extends upwardly with respect to thechannel l2 so that the distance between the portion l3 and the plane ofthe side flanges of the drawer is less than the diameter of the lockingbar 6,-which pre vents the escape of the locking bar so that the latteris carried unitarily by the follower.

In operation, while the locking bar is in its released position shown inbroken lines in Figure 3, the follower is pushed againstfthe bundle ofcards Ill, as shown in Figure 1, and then the fingers are pressedagainst the locking bar 6, raising it from the channel l2 and causing itto roll upon the inclined plane H until it begins to wedge between saidinclined lane and the side flanges 5. Beyond this point its movement maybe both a; rolling and sliding movement, oreither, as it is forced intolocking position. To release the follower the locking bar 6 is pushedbackward to loosen its wedging grip, whereupon the follower may beslidably moved away from the cards to any desired position. During thisrelease movement the locking bar may normally rest in the channel l2. Itwill be readily understood that the space within which the locking barplaysis insufficient in width to permit the locking bar to be cantedsufficiently to free it from its engagement with the drawer beneath theside flanges 5, and that it cannot escape through the space between theupper end of the portion 13 and the plane of the side flanges, so thatnormally the locking bar and the follower mutually. react to prevent therem-oval of either the locking bar or follower from the drawer. When itis desired to remove the locking bar from engage it by the fingernailsand there is no structure which might inadvertently catch. and break thefingernails.

This device is particularly adapted to be manufactured from wood,plastic or other materials; than metal, although it may be manufactured,

of metal, if desired.

While I have in the above description disclosed what I believe to be apreferred and practical embodiment of the invention, it will beunderstood by those skilled in the art that the specific details ofconstruction and the arrangement of parts as shown and described are byway of illustration and not to be construed as limiting the scope of theinvention defined in the appended claims.

What I claim as my invention is: 1. In a filing drawer having interiorlongitudinal opposite side flanges parallel to the bottom of saiddrawer, a transverse follower longitudinally slidable on the bottom ofsaid drawer, and

having a face below the plane which embraces said flanges upwardly andforwardly inclined at a small angle to said plane, a transverse lockingbar carried by said follower having its ends beneath said side flanges,and wedgingly engaging between said side flanges and said inclined faceat an intermediate region of the latter, said bar being of substantiallyuniform cross-section in the respective parts which engage said flangesand said inclined faces and means adjacent the rearward end of saidinclined face to retain said locking bar on said follower.

2. In a filing drawer having interior longitudinal opposite side flangesparallel to the bottom of said drawer, a broad based transverse followerlongitudinally slidable on the bottom of said drawer and having a facebelow the plane whichembraces said flanges upwardly and forwardlyinclined at a small angle to said plane, a transverse locking barcarried by said follower, having the form of a roller with its endsbeneath said side flanges and wedgingly engaging between said sideflanges and said inclined face at an intermediate region of the latter,and means adjacent the lower end of said inclined face to retain saidlocking bar on said follower.

3. In a filing drawer having interior longitudinal opposite side flangesparallel to the bottom of said drawer, a broad based transverse followerlongitudinally slidable on the bottom of said drawer and having a facebelow the plane which embraces said flanges upwardly and forwardlyinclined at a small angle to said plane, a transverse locking barcarried by said follower having its ends beneath said side flanges, andwedgingly engaging between said side flanges and said inclined face atan intermediate region of the latter, said follower being formed with atransverse trough adjacent the lower end of said inclined face forming aseat for said locking bar when in released position, and meansrearwardly of said trough to retain said locking bar on said follower.

4. In a filing drawer having interior longitudinal opposite side flangesparallel to the bottom of said drawer, a broad based transverse followerlongitudinally slidable on the bottom of said drawer and having a facebelow the plane which embraces said flanges upwardly and forwardlyinclined at a small angle to said plane, a transverselocking bar carriedby said follower having its ends beneath said side flanges and wedginglyengaging between said side flanges and said inclined face at anintermediate region of the latter, said follower having a portionadjacent the lower end-of said inclined face extending upwardly towardthe plane of said side flanges to a sufficientheight to retain saidlocking bar beneath saidsideflanges and unitarily with respect to saidfollower.

5. Filing drawer as claimed in claim 4, including a trough between saidinclined face and said upwardly extending portion serving as a seat forsaid locking bar when the latter is in released" position.

6. Filing drawer as claimed in claim 4, saidlocking bar having the formof a roller, saidfollower being formed with a trough between saidinclined face and said upwardly extending portion serving as a seat forsaid roller when the compact upright position, said follower having aface above its base and rearwardly of its vertical face, upwardly andforwardly inclined, a locking bar in the form of a roller carried bysaid follower having its end portions adapted to engage the side flangesof thedrawer and its intermediate portion engageable with said inclinedface for wedgingly fixing said follower relative to said drawer, saidfollower having an upwardly directed flange adjacent the lower end ofsaid inclined face to retain said locking bar on said-fol lower.

8. Follower as claimed in claim '7, being formed with a trough betweenthe lower end of said inclined face and said upwardly extending flangeserving as a seat, for said locking bar when the latter is in itsreleased position.

9. In a filing drawer having interior longitudinal opposite side flangesparallel to the bottom of said drawer, a broad based transverse followerlongitudinally slidable on the bottom of said drawer and having a facebelow the plane which embraces said flanges upwardly and forwardlyinclined at a small angle to said plane, a transverse locking rollercarried by said follower having its ends beneath said side flanges andwedgingly engaging between said side flanges and said inclined face atan intermediate region of the. latter, said follower having a portionadjacent the lower end of said inclined face normally extending towardthe plane of said side flanges to a suflicient height to retain saidlocking roller beneath said side flanges and unitarily with respect tosaid follower, the latter being tiltable about the axis of saidroller'to lower said upwardly extending portion sufficiently to permitsaid locking roller to be removed.

DAVID B. HULL.

